Herons and egrets look very alike, but it was the egret which came close to extinction in the late 19th century. It seems that the Victorian ladies craved the beautiful white feathers egrets produced, in order to decorate their hats and other extraordinary headdresses.
In fact, the French word for egret - 'aigrette' - became the name used for the the type of hat ornamentation crafted from the tufted crests of egrets.
Fortunately public reaction to the wholesale killing of egrets brought to an end this silly fashion trend and steps were taken to protect these birds. The National Audubon Society was founded in 1905 to stop the killing of egrets for their feathers.
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